All About Children's Health

Emergency Numbers in Australia
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Police / Fire / Ambulance


000 should only be called in an emergency.

This is a number to call if your child is seriously injured and needs immediate medical attention (especially if you need an ambulance to take them to hospital).

Follow any instructions offered by the operator but do not hang up - the operator may need to ask more questions.

 

Poisons Information Hotline


The Poisons Information Hotline should be called in the following situations:

If your child has collapsed, stopped breathing, is fitting or is suffering an anaphylactic reaction, ring 000 for an ambulance. Do not ring the Poisons Information Centre.

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Swine Flu (H1N1) Emergency Hotline


The Swine Flu (H1N1) Emergency information is provided by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. They have provided a web site with continuously updated information, as well as links and other useful information, as well as a national hotline phone number to provide information about the outbreak of the H1N1 flu outbreak.

* Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate than local call

 

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Health First (ACT)

This service is now going to be part of the Health Direct service.


Health First is a number which people of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the surrounding region can call to speak to a registered nurse 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This service provides people in the ACT and surrounding region with immediate and expert health information and advice 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The registered nurse will take down your details (name, address, phone number) and the details of the illness and advise you on a course of action:

The nurse cannot provide a full diagnosis for your symptoms.

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NURSE-ON-CALL (VIC)


NURSE-ON-CALL is a telephone health line, providing Victorians with immediate expert health information and advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The registered nurse will take down your details and ask you a series of questions about your child's symptoms and other issues relating to your child's health. The nurse will then advise:


Note: nurses do not provide a full diagnosis of your symptoms

NURSE-ON-CALL uses the most up-to-date health information available, in order to give you and your family the highest quality advice.

* local call from anywhere in Victoria (calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate)

 

13 HEALTH (QLD)


13 HEALTH is is a telephone health line for all Queenslanders to help take the worry out of health concerns.

You can phone 24 hours a day 7 days a week for the cost of a local call.*

It may not be a health emergency for your child, but it could be serious. Qualified staff will give you advice on who to talk to and how quickly you should do it. The advice is confidential, qualified and supportive.

13 HEALTH provides qualified health advice; it is not a diagnostic service and should not replace medical consultation. In an emergency always dial 000.

* Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate than local call

 

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HealthDirect (ACT, NSW, NT, SA, TAS, WA)


HealthDirect is a free 24 hour, seven day a week health advice line which is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and the governments of the ACT, NSW, NT, Tasmania, SA and WA.

HealthDirect will be made progressively available to residents of New South Wales and Tasmania. HealthDirect is scheduled to be a fully national service in Australia by 2011.

The specially trained nurses at HealthDirect are not there to replace your doctor or the 000 emergency number, nor do they provide a diagnosis. HealthDirect provides a back-up and an additional source of health advice that is available to anyone via the telephone.

The specially trained nurses at HealthDirect follow a set of procedures to assess your health problem to provide the following services:

* HealthDirect is a free service from all landlines, but may incur a higher cost from mobile phones

 

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Lifeline


Lifeline is a number to call when you need some free and confidential telephone counselling.

* Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate than local calls

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Suicide Helpline (VIC)


This is a number to call for confidential telephone counselling, support and referral available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout Victoria for the cost of a local call*.

Suicide Helpline Victoria provides:


* Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate than local call

 

Parentline


Parentline is a confidential telephone counselling service which you can call to obtain professional counselling and support, to discuss any parenting issues about your child. It is completely anonymous.

It has been created to provide free counselling services to parents in QLD and NT.

* Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate than local call

 

Kids Helpline


Kids Helpline is an anonymous, confidential and especially for kids telephone counselling service.

Children and adolescents can email the site or ring to discuss issues such as:


* Kids Helpline is a free service from all landlines, but may incur a higher cost from mobile phones.

 

Maternal and Child Health Line (VIC)


The Maternal and Child Health Line is a telephone service available to families with children birth to school age, which is staffed by maternal and child health nurses who provide callers with information, support and advice about:


The Maternal and Child Health Line can provide female interpreters from the Translating Interpreter Service for families that are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.

The service can also provide service to hearing or speech impaired callers, with access to the National Relay Service (NRS).

* Calls from mobile phones may be charged at a higher rate than local call

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Last reviewed: 21 April 2008 || Last updated: 17 June 2009

 

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NOTE: Mega doses of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, or other supplements cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of nutrient supplement.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.